Hijacking the Three Kingdoms with My System

Chapter 11: First Blood of the God of War

Guan Yu's horse bolted, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, weighing 82 *kati* (roughly 40-something kg in modern standards), was raised high, absorbing the sunlight, and brought down with the intent to split the earth.

"DON'T TOUCH MY BROTHER!"

Lu Bu felt a chill pierce his spine. His divine instinct screamed. He canceled the execution on Zhang Fei, forcefully pulling his halberd back to brace against the collapsing sky.

DHOOOM!

The sound of Guan Yu and Lu Bu's weapons colliding was no longer just metal. It was an explosion. The ground around Red Hare's hooves sank four inches. Lu Bu's horse whinnied, its front knees buckling under the combined weight of two monsters.

"Second Brother!" Zhang Fei exclaimed, his eyes wide as he watched Guan Yu hold off Lu Bu.

"Get back, Third Brother! Let me cut off this arrogant man's head!" Guan Yu retorted, his neck muscles straining as he pressed his Guandao down.

Lu Bu laughed. Under the pressure of the two heaviest weapons in China, he laughed.

"Good! GOOD!" Lu Bu thrust his arms, pushing both weapons away with an explosion of pure strength. "Two worm dragons against one tiger! Come at me together! I needed a warm-up!"

The battle turned into a double hurricane.

Guan Yu attacked with precise, heavy slashes. Zhang Fei attacked with wild, unpredictable thrusts. Left and right. Up and down.

Clang!

Trang!

Whush!

Their weapons clashed dozens of times in a single breath. Lu Bu spun his Sky Halberd like a helicopter rotor, creating an absolute wall of defense. He parried Guan Yu's Guandao with the front tip and kicked Zhang Fei's spear with his horse's leg.

However, on the hill, Jo Fan's face grew paler.

"No... no..." Jo Fan hissed, his eyes darting as he read the system data. "They aren't synchronized!"

[Combat Analysis: Coordination 15%]

[Problem: Guan Yu is too disciplined, Zhang Fei is too wild. They are blocking each other's lines of attack. Lu Bu is exploiting the gap between their rhythms.]

Lu Bu was a combat genius. He deliberately baited Guan Yu to attack in a direction that prevented Zhang Fei from thrusting. He used Guan Yu's body as a living shield against his own brother's attack.

"You are strong! But you are stupid!" Lu Bu scorned while launching a counterattack that nearly clipped Guan Yu's beard.

On the edge of the battlefield, Liu Bei saw his two brothers starting to struggle. Cold sweat ran down his temples. He didn't wait for Jo Fan's instructions. He didn't care about strategy. These were his brothers.

"I won't let you die without me!"

Liu Bei drew his twin swords (Shuang Gu Jian). His horse charged into that iron hell.

"BOSS! WAIT! DON'T GO IN WITHOUT..." Jo Fan shouted, but it was too late.

Liu Bei leaped into the center of the vortex.

Three against one. The "Rotating Lamp" formation.

Liu Bei attacked from Lu Bu's blind side, thrusting toward his waist. Lu Bu was surprised, forced to spin his halberd behind his back to parry.

Ting!

"Three people?!" Lu Bu snarled, his eyes glowing red. "Even this mat seller joins in?! Do you think quantity can defeat quality?!"

Lu Bu went berserk. His attacks became twice as fast. His Sky Halberd turned into a lethal blur. He pressured Liu Bei (the weakest point), forcing Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to jump in to protect their elder brother, making their formation even more chaotic.

"A mess! This is a brawl, not a battle formation!" Jo Fan pulled at his own hair in frustration.

The System gave a red warning.

[WARNING: Liu Bei's Death Predicted in 10 seconds.]

[Lu Bu is preparing the "Mountain Splitter" move aimed at Liu Bei.]

Lu Bu raised his halberd high, his muscles bulging. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were late to position, having just parried a feint attack. Liu Bei was wide open.

"Disaster!"

Jo Fan had no choice. He had to be the brain connecting these three muscles.

"System! Activate 'Tactical Command Override'! Force my voice into their ears!"

[Cost: Neural Overload. Side Effects: Nosebleed, Severe Vertigo, Potential Fainting.]

[Confirm?]

"DO IT NOW, DAMN IT!"

BZZZTTT

An electric shock hit Jo Fan's brain. Fresh, warm blood immediately gushed from his nose. His vision spun violently, the world blurring. The pain felt like needles stabbing inside his eyeballs.

But his voice... his voice echoed directly in the eardrums of the Three Brothers, clear and authoritative.

"GUAN YU, HOLD AT 45 DEGREES! ZHANG FEI, SWEEP THE HORSE'S LEGS! LIU BEI, DUCK!"

The instructions were so precise and sudden that their bodies moved reflexively.

Guan Yu raised his Guandao diagonally, bracing against the fall of Lu Bu's weapon.

BLAMM!

Lu Bu's weapon was checked, but its force remained.

Liu Bei, hearing the command "DUCK," instantly dropped his body, hugging his horse's neck.

Lu Bu's crescent blade passed an inch above Liu Bei's helmet, cutting the decorative plume.

And Zhang Fei...

"DIE, YOU DAMN HORSE!"

Zhang Fei swept his spear downward with all his might, aiming for Red Hare's front leg, which was bearing the weight.

Lu Bu glared. He couldn't pull back his weapon, which was held by Guan Yu. He couldn't slash Liu Bei, who was ducked. And his leg was threatened.

For the first time in his life, Lu Bu felt a foreign sensation: Pain.

Lu Bu yanked the reins forcefully, making his horse jump, but he was a fraction of a second too late. The tip of Zhang Fei's Serpent Spear grazed Lu Bu's thigh, which was unprotected by side armor.

SREET!

Fresh blood spurted. Lu Bu's silk trousers tore.

"ARGH!" Lu Bu groaned, a sharp sting in his thigh.

On the hill, Jo Fan collapsed. His knees hit the ground. Blood flowed profusely from both nostrils, dripping onto his borrowed armor. His vision darkened. He was close to fainting from the Neural Shock.

"Damn... I... my vision is blurry..." Jo Fan mumbled.

[NOTIFICATION: A GOD IS WOUNDED!]

[Unique Achievement: First Blood on Lu Bu.]

[Instant Reward: 'Original Crispy Fried Chicken Bucket (KFC Style)'.]

[Item Effect: Restores 30% HP, Stops Bleeding, Increases Morale.]

A greasy paper bucket containing pieces of golden fried chicken appeared in Jo Fan's lap. The aroma... the legendary scent of pepper, salt, and 11 secret herbs immediately hit Jo Fan's nose, fighting against the metallic smell of blood.

Jo Fan didn't think. Survival instinct took over. With trembling hands and a bloody nose, he snatched a hot fried chicken drumstick and bit into it ravenously.

Crunch!

The crispy skin and juicy meat exploded in his mouth. Fat and protein flooded his system. His dizziness slowly faded. The blood in his nose miraculously stopped dripping.

"Delicious... oh God, it's so good..." Jo Fan chewed, tears streaming from the pain in his head.

Below, the battlefield was silent.

Lu Bu retreated ten steps. He stared at his bleeding thigh. Bright red blood stained his golden armor and his horse's red coat.

The Alliance forces cheered wildly. "LU BU IS WOUNDED! LU BU IS BLEEDING!"

Lu Bu looked up. His eyes no longer held arrogance, but pure alertness. He looked at the three brothers, who were panting but ready to pounce again. Then his gaze shifted to the hill... toward the young man holding a fried chicken drumstick.

"Hmph..." Lu Bu spat.

He knew his position was unfavorable. His wound wasn't fatal, but it hampered his mobility. And the coordination of these three men had suddenly become terrifying. If he continued, he might kill one of them, but he would also die.

That was not a fair exchange for the life of Lu Bu.

"You..." Lu Bu's voice was calm, terrifying. "The three of you. I will remember your faces all the way to hell."

Zhang Fei was about to charge again. "DON'T TALK SO MUCH! LET'S GO!"

Lu Bu suddenly raised his halberd and shouted, "STORM ATTACK!"

He spurred his horse toward Liu Bei at full speed. Liu Bei was shocked, raising his swords to defend. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei leaped to block.

But it was only a feint.

As the three of them closed ranks to defend, Lu Bu suddenly pulled Red Hare into a 180-degree turn, pivoting on its hind legs. His Sky Halberd spun horizontally, creating a gust of wind that forced the three brothers' horses back in surprise.

In the chaos of the dust, Lu Bu did not attack. He leaped.

Red Hare gracefully jumped over the five-meter-wide defensive ditch, landing far behind the safe line, heading toward the gates of Hulao Pass.

"I AM BORED TODAY! NEXT TIME, PREPARE YOUR NECKS MORE CLEANLY!"

Lu Bu did not run like a frightened coward. He left like a king bored with his toys. His back remained straight. His golden armor still gleamed.

Before fully entering the gate, Lu Bu looked back one last time at the hill.

He saw Jo Fan. Jo Fan, whose nose was smeared with dried blood, holding a chicken drumstick in his left hand and a chicken breast in his right, staring back with a mouth full of food.

Their eyes met.

Lu Bu gave a faint smirk, as if to say: "Enjoy your chicken, Kid. Next time, you're the main course."

The Hulao gate closed.

Silence reigned for a moment before it was shattered by earth-shaking cheers of victory.

"WE WON! THE THREE BROTHERS DEFEATED LU BU!"

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were still rooted to the spot, their breaths ragged. They looked at each other.

"We didn't win..." Guan Yu whispered, his hand trembling violently. "We only survived."

Meanwhile, on the hill, Jo Fan swallowed his last piece of chicken, then burped loudly.

"System..." Jo Fan mumbled, wiping his greasy mouth with his sleeve. "Next time you want to give me a Power Up, don't make my nose leak like a faucet. I almost died from blood loss, not from being killed by Lu Bu."

[Notification: Mission Complete. History Written: "The Battle of the Three Heroes Against Lu Bu".]

[Bonus: Jo Fan's Reputation has increased to "Mysterious Chicken-Loving Strategist".]

Jo Fan gave a hollow laugh, then lay down, staring at the blue sky that was beginning to be covered by black smoke from the direction of Luoyang.

"Chicken-Loving Strategist? What kind of title is that..." he sighed, before his consciousness slowly recovered completely, preparing to face the next disaster: The burning city.